Home Secretary David Blunkett was today meeting figures from the world of black music, including members of the controversial So Solid Crew.

The occasion was the parliamentary launch of a charity fighting gun crime. The Disarm Trust was established in April last year in response to growing levels of violent crime involving firearms, including the New Year's Eve murders of Birmingham teenagers Latisha Shakespear and Charlene Ellis.

Supporters have been invited to Parliament by Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gun Crime. Ms Abbott said: "The police can't fight gun crime on their own. The community needs to be involved."

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Eastenders star Jessie Wallace, 32, is expecting her first child, it has been announced. The actress, who plays Kat Moon nee Slater in the BBC1 soap opera, and fiance Dave Morgan are expecting the child towards the end of the year. Wallace, 32, said: "I'm really excited. This is something I've always wanted."